Former NFL player Sergio Brown has pleaded not guilty to murder and concealing homicide charges in connection with his mother’s death this year in Maywood.
Brown, 35, appeared in a Maywood courtroom Wednesday before Cook County Judge Geary Kull, who ordered that Brown can appear at future court dates without handcuffs or mobility restrictions. Brown is being held in Cook County Jail as he awaits trial.
His mother, Myrtle Brown, was found dead in September, wrapped in a sheet in tall grass less than 200 feet from her home, prosecutors have said. An autopsy found she suffered several injuries from an assault.
Brown, who lived with his 73-year-old mother, was the last person seen with her. He also was observed burning fabric the night of her death Sept. 14, prosecutors have said. Brown bought a one-way plane ticket to Cancún, Mexico, and flew out the next morning.
He was considered missing for nearly a month until he was found in Mexico, deported to San Diego, then extradited to Maywood in October, officials said.
Brown was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealing a homicidal death.
Brown played football at Proviso East High School, then played at Notre Dame between 2006 and 2009. His NFL career lasted seven seasons, with the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.
His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 24.
